3 Ways Automation And AI Amplify The Role Of Firstline Workers

Will automation and artificial intelligence (AI) take away or enrich jobs? That’s the question on everyone’s mind these days, and justifiably so. Automation and AI have demonstrated an ability to perform many tasks, from driving trucks to performing surgery.

Ultimately, the rise of automation, intelligence and innovation in all its forms will liberate firstline workers from mundane, manual tasks and elevate their roles to that of decision makers and information gatekeepers.iStock

It only stands to reason that firstline workers—the employees who are the first point of contact with customers or spend most of their time making or servicing products or managing operations—should have the most to worry about. Why? Because automation and AI tend to target the routine, day-to-day tasks these workers perform.

Yet a new survey of more than 300 executives by Forbes Insights suggests that automation and AI may be having more of a positive effect on firstline jobs rather than threatening them. In fact, almost half of executives surveyed believe automation is elevating the tasks of firstline workers and allowing them to focus more time on higher-value activities. Only 21% say automation is outright replacing jobs. The industries expecting the most positive impacts include healthcare, in which 55% of executives say automation is elevating firstline jobs, followed by those in services (50%) and utilities/transportation (48%).

How Automation And AI Transform The Role Of Firstline Workers

What’s behind this admittedly optimistic view of the impact of automation and AI? Here are three ways automation and AI support and amplify firstline worker roles and outcomes:

Greater productivity: From a historical perspective, automation has consistently been a liberating force for workers across decades and centuries, gradually freeing them from the drudgery of manual, repetitive tasks and significantly increasing their productivity. “Automation of activities can enable businesses to improve performance by reducing errors and improving quality and speed, and in some cases achieving outcomes that go beyond human capabilities,” according to a report by McKinsey & Company. “Automation also contributes to productivity, as it has done historically.”The latest phase of this revolution is being shaped by automation, AI and machine learning. Many of the manual tasks associated with firstline work—sorting, packing and stacking, for instance—are increasingly being handled by robots, and workers are now overseeing their operations and performance.

More opportunities: Automation and AI also free up time for workers to focus on higher-value activities, to identify customer and business challenges and to find creative and innovative solutions that deliver the superior customer experiences that drive organizations forward. “Employment grows significantly faster in occupations that use computers more,” according to a study by James E. Bessen of Boston University, who found that “computer use is associated with about a 1.7% increase in employment per year. This association is true in general, and also for occupations that perform more routine tasks and for mid-wage occupations.”In addition, the data generated through digitally empowered firstline activities opens up new avenues for job enrichment and positive feedback. AI and intelligence can be applied to the data to understand and improve the tasks and outcomes of employees’ work. Firstline employees will truly become masters of their own domains.Automation and AI aren’t eliminating job roles; they’re just changing the nature of tasks associated with many jobs, as documented in a report by McKinsey and Company: “More occupations will change than will be automated away.” At the same time, automating lower-level tasks will tap the resourcefulness of firstline workers. “If humans aren’t bogged down by routine tasks, they will find something better to do,” writes Sarah Kessler in Quartz. “The weavers will learn the new job of operating the machines. My co-worker will write more articles because he’s not transcribing interviews. The warehouse workers will each pack more boxes because they’re not running between shelves collecting each item to be packed.”

New technology approaches: As is the case with their office-bound counterparts, firstline workers are eager to learn how the latest technologies can improve their jobs. New types of technology are emerging, such as mixed reality, which will also alter and enhance firstline workers’ jobs. One in eight executives surveyed by Forbes Insights are seeing a role for mixed reality to provide in-depth expertise to a range of manual and service tasks.

Mixed reality is poised to help firstline workers complete crucial tasks faster, more safely and more efficiently, and will also serve as a catalyst for innovation in the workplace as the physical and digital blend together. Mixed reality will help firstline workers accomplish things that, until now, have never been possible. With mixed reality in the workplace, workers can solve real problems with real solutions. For example, it enables a worker to collaborate with a remote expert—from within the organization or with a vendor—to accomplish real tasks, in real spaces, in real time. Mixed reality also enables the creation of customized first-person perspective training programs and step-by-step instructions on new products, processes and equipment.

Ultimately, the rise of automation, intelligence and innovation in all its forms will liberate firstline workers from mundane, manual tasks and elevate their roles to that of decision makers and information gatekeepers.

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